Born: November 26, 1942 (Hà Nội, Vietnam)
Died: June 22, 1970
Biography:
Đặng Thùy Trâm, born on November 26, 1942, in Hà Nội, Vietnam, was a remarkable Vietnamese doctor who dedicated her life to serving her country during the Vietnam War. Coming from a family of doctors that had spanned three generations, her father, Đặng Ngọc Khuê, was a surgeon, and her mother, Doãn Ngọc Trâm, was a pharmacist. Trâm was the eldest of five siblings, including three younger sisters and a younger brother.
Trâm’s pursuit of knowledge and passion for medicine led her to attend high school at Chu Văn An High School in Hà Nội. Following her graduation, she enrolled in Hanoi Medical University, where she further honed her medical skills. Little did she know that her path would soon take her to the front lines of the Vietnam War.
In December 1966, Trâm, along with many other civilians, boarded a truck to the Quảng Bình Province, where she began her journey as a battlefield surgeon for the People’s Army of Vietnam and Vietcong. Throughout her time on the battlefield, Trâm tirelessly worked to save the lives of wounded soldiers, displaying unwavering bravery and dedication.
During her time on the front lines, Trâm began chronicling her experiences and emotions in her diaries. These writings provided a unique insight into the realities of war from the perspective of a Vietnamese doctor. Sadly, Trâm’s life was cut short on June 22, 1970, when she lost her life in a gun battle.
After her death, one of Trâm’s handwritten diaries was captured by US forces in December 1969. The diary, however, was not destroyed as ordered but preserved by a young military intelligence specialist named Frederic (Fred) Whitehurst. Whitehurst defied the order and intended to return the diaries to Trâm’s family.
Whitehurst’s search for Trâm’s family proved initially unsuccessful, but in March 2005, he and his brother Robert brought the diaries to a conference at Texas Tech University. There, they met photographer Ted Engelmann, who offered to help locate Trâm’s family during his trip to Vietnam. With the assistance of Do Xuan Anh, a staff member in the Hanoi Quaker office, Engelmann was able to find Trâm’s mother, Doan Ngoc Tram, and subsequently connect with the rest of her family.
In July 2005, Trâm’s diaries were published in Vietnam under the title Nhật ký Đặng Thùy Trâm (Đặng Thùy Trâm’s Diary – Last Night I Dreamed Of Peace). The publication quickly became a bestseller, captivating readers with Trâm’s raw and poignant reflections. In less than a year, over 300,000 copies of the diary were sold, drawing comparisons between Trâm’s writings and that of Anne Frank.
In August 2005, Fred and Robert Whitehurst traveled to Hanoi to meet Trâm’s family. Later that year, Trâm’s family visited Lubbock, Texas, to view the diaries archived at Texas Tech University Vietnam Archive. The diaries, which now form an essential part of Trâm’s legacy, were also translated into English, ensuring her story and experiences reached a wider audience.
Đặng Thùy Trâm’s unwavering dedication to medicine and her selfless service on the battlefield make her a true hero and an inspiration. Her diaries stand as a testament to the human spirit amidst the horrors of war, providing a unique perspective on the Vietnam War and its impact on those who lived through it. The legacy of Đặng Thùy Trâm serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by countless individuals during times of conflict and the lasting consequences of war.